Aspen marijuana sales top liquor sales for first time

Recent figures say sales at Aspen’s marijuana dispensaries last year topped liquor stores in revenue.

The Aspen Times reports the city’s Finance Department in its year-end sales tax report for 2017 says legal-pot sellers hauled in $11.3 million in revenue last year compared with $10.5 million for liquor stores, marking the first time marijuana sales outpaced alcohol for the year in Aspen.

The report says cannabis revenue last year also marked a 16 percent improvement over 2016, which produced $9.7 million in sales. The marijuana industry also enjoyed the biggest rate of growth last year among the city’s 12 retail sectors.

The report shows Aspen’s retailers combined to generate $730.4 million in revenue, 2 percent better than 2016.